January 28, 2013
There's been some questions about the range of motors checked in the recent compliance tests on motors in the 17.5 spec class. Speculation has suggested that we only tested the Trinity D3.5 motor, which is nonsense. ROAR purchase over $1100 worth of motors from retailers, which ranged from the motor in question, to motors made by those that have questioned the compliance of the D3.5, and others that combined with the rest, represent about 95-percent of motors that are common in ROAR events. the following is a list of motors checked.
Thunder Power Z3R-S
Team Orion Vortex VST Pro
Schuur Speed Extreeme Spec
Epic D3.5 ROAR Spec
Tekin Redline Gen2
Express Motorsports Ripper D3.5
Reedy Sonic Stock Spec
Trinity Revtech R-Series
Novak Premium Ballistic Spec
Speed Passion Competition V3
Novak Ballistic Spec High RPM
The Epic D3.5 and others based on the D3.5 tested with wire that is .8417 mm. Each wire was tested in each motor and the results are similar - all measured at above .8400mm, which is well above the maximum dimension of .813mm as listed in the rulebook, and even still well above contrived limit we're "supposed" to allow based on "tolerances." The fact is, 20 AWG wire is produced to the minimum specification, and we were unable to find ANY wire manufacturer that made wire that tested at even the nominal spec listed on wire charts. None. All the other motors tested had wire in the .7910 to .8059 range, and the one with the largest wire uses US-made production 20AWG wire. This was confirmed by consultations with wire manufacturers and backed up by our own measurements from spools of production wire. So, the maximum of .813mm listed in the ROAR Rulebook DOES account for a tolerance, which is from the real specification of approximately .805mm, up to the nominal specification of .813mm.
More information will be posted this coming week.